Cui?, Bono?
Mar 5, 2007 Gelt, Medialites
Advertising Age reports: “Costly Red Campaign Reaps Meager $18 Million.” Walking around New York City, I was impressed with the brand-development demonstrated by this $100 million campaign. Famous, beautiful people in Red Gap stuff, telling us to “Buy Red.” Fantastic simultaneous investment and expenditure of brand equity, utilizing not only Gap but Motorola and Apple — great brands building a new, greater brand for something even greaterly greater!
Okay, one slight problem.
Looking at the ads — on billboards, bus shelters, phone booths — I had no idea what they were for. What Red? Red what?
No message. No content.
In fact, even reading the Advertising Age article linked to above, you still have no idea what the point of this campaign was until five or so paragraphs down into the article! Evidently it’s something to do with AIDS. Or Africa. I still don’t know. Guess what: They — it — he — who? — doesn’t even tell you on the RED homepage.
It’s an arrogance thing, I think.
(Cross-posted on LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION)
